“When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.” – Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner is Khaled Hosseini’s first novel. The book tells of the story of a 12-year-old boy, Amir, living with his father and their servants in Afghanistan. The story is set on the backdrop of 1970s Afghanistan, facing immense political turmoil between national and international forces.
I’m sure, whether it be a movie or a book, we all believe that people who give spoilers deserve to be egged, right? So how do I write this without giving any? Hmmm….
Hosseini starts out by taking the reader on Amir’s quest to win a local kite-fighting competition, where with the help of his loyal friend, Hassan, they face treacherous winds and contemptuous bullies. Following the competition, Amir and his family are forced to flee Afghanistan for their safety and begin a new life in the United States of America. After being in America for a while, Amir decides to return to Afghanistan in search of his best friend. What unfolds next, is for you to discover on your own…. 🙂
Quite honestly, The Kite Runner is one of those books that is filled with emotion. At the risk of being cliché, I can openly say it’s an emotional rollercoaster. I went from being relaxed while reading one chapter, to being tense and anxious while reading the next. I was often torn between wanting to skip a few chapters ahead to see what unfolds and reading every chapter to understand everything (as one should). Needless to say, I did the latter and was definitely worth my while as it only intensified the story.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. The Kite Runner even evoked a couple tears, though I won’t post at what exact moment because SPOILER ALERT! So I guess you’re just going to have to ask me in person, once you’ve read the book.
I find little wrong with the way the book was written, in terms of its writing style, as well as its story line. However, at times you’d feel like parts of the book are dragging but you’ll soon realise that those particular moments set the tone for the following chapters.
I’d definitely recommend The Kite Runner to anyone who loves contemporary novels. It’s not hard to understand why it spent over 100 weeks on The New York Times Bestseller List.
The Kite Runner is, as many before me have said, AMAZING.
Have you read this book? Share your thoughts in the comment section below 🙂
You should check out Khaled Hosseini’s website at www.khaledhosseini.com
Recommended Reading:
- Khaled Hosseini – A Thousand Splendid Suns
- Khaled Hosseini – And the Mountains Echoed
- Jodi Picoult – My Sister’s Keeper
Praise:
“Unforgettable… extraordinary. It is so powerful that for a long time after, everything I read seemed bland.” – Isabel Allende
“A devastating, masterful and painfully honest story.” – Daily Telegraph
“Rich in warmth and humour… full of haunting images… vivid and engaging.” – The New York Times
Lotus Book Blog 
Very emotional and heartbreaking read. My favourite quote from the book will always be the one about sin. 3 years after I’ve read the book, it still occasionally cross my mind
“There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing”
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Its one of the best quotes Ive come across in his books. No wonder he was a bestseller….twice!
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